Fire-escape.



PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

H. G. WHITLBYf FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 21. 1904.

uvmvron 12 1701222 CMz'fly WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS proved escape as in use.

NTTED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM C. lVl-IITLEY, OF EMPORIA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TQ WV. E. HAYNES,

OF EMPORIA, KANSAS.

FlRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,297, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed June 21, 1904. Serial No. 218,545.

To all whmn it puny concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM (J. WHITLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Emporia, Lyon county, Kansas,.have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in fire-escapes, and particularly in that class of such escapes known as frictional, in which the device supporting the escaping person is movable along a rope and friction is utilized to retard the descent of the escaping person; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 is a side view, of my im- Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one end of the sling or belt, and Fig. 4 is a detail elevation showing the two rings.

In practiceI provide a belt or sling, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the escaping person may sit or be otherwise supported, said belt or sling being connected at one end, B, with a ring E and provided at its other end, A, with a snap-hook F, by which it may be detachably connected with the said ring E whenever desired. The ring E and the ring D are movable along the rope C and are arranged in practice as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be noticed that the ring E is of" external diameter in excess of the internal diameter of the ring D, so that the larger ring E may project at one end slightly within the smaller ring D, but cannot pass through the said ring when the parts are arranged as shown in Figs. ,1 and 2, it being understood that both these rings may be of iron or steel and will be practically rigid in use.

The rope C is passed through the smaller ring D, thence through the larger ring E, and

thence back. through the smaller ring D, as shown in Fig. 2, and the weight of the escaping person will be borne by the ring E through 4 5 the medium of the sling or belt before described. It will be noticed that a bight is formed by passing the rope C through the rings, as before described, and the operator by pulling down on the rope below the rings 5 D and E may produce suflicient tension on the bight to cause the rope to sustain the weight of the body, and by slacking up on the rope below the said rings the tension on the bight may be greatly decreased to permit the descent of the escaping person. In operation the upper end of the rope may be connected to a bed, chair, door, radiator, or to a ring fastened in the Window-casing or otherwise fastened securely to support the weight of the descending person.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improved firerrescape herein de- 5 scribed, comprising a rope, a ring of a given diameter, a slightly-larger ring pro ecting partlally into the smaller ring, the rope being passed through the smaller ring, thence through the larger ring and thence back 7 .through the smaller ring forming a bight securing the larger ring and means for supporting the descending person from the larger ring, substantially as set forth.

2. In a lire-escape the combination with a H. 'C. WHITLEY.

VVitnesses:

F. L. PERRY, W. S. Knrrsmenn. 

